All-star Voting Ridiculous Again

June 22, 1989|By DAVE JOHNSON Staff Writer

On July 11, millions will gather in front of their televisions - one hand wrapped around a cold beer, the other buried in a bowl of Doritos - to watch baseball's All-Star game. It's an event. Always has been, always will be.

Behold the one game set aside each year for the sport's best to comprise the rosters of their respective leagues. There have been plenty of exciting moments: Ted Williams' three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to give the American League a victory in 1941; Roberto Clemente's game-winning 10th-inning single as the National League won 20 years later.

The 1970 game - in which Pete Rose barrelled over Ray Fosse in the 12th inning to score the winning run - marked the first time in 13 years the fans voted for the starters. It's their game, it was reasoned. Let them vote.

Sounds reasonable enough. But the minute the fans started selecting the rosters, the game became a popularity contest - not much different than a student body presidential election. A look at the leaders in the balloting for this year's game makes that apparent.

Some questionable totals in American League voting:

* Oakland's Jose Canseco has received the third-highest total of any AL outfielder. Canseco had a spectacular 1988 - 42 home runs, 124 runs batted in, 40 stolen bases - but because of a wrist injury, he hasn't played a game this season.

* At catcher, Terry Steinbach is the runaway leader. Considering the Athletics' second-year man is batting .327, you can't argue that. But Baltimore's Mickey Tettleton, tied for the AL lead in homers with 17, is sixth - behind Chicago's Carlton Fisk, a .243 hitter who has played in 20 games, no less.

* At first base, Oakland's Mark McGwire has a comfortable lead. Seattle's Alvin Davis, with a .342 batting average (almost 100 points higher than McGwire) and 43 RBI, is eighth.

* The AL's leading vote getter is Kansas City outfielder Bo Jackson, who is hitting .268 with 17 home runs. The former Heisman Trophy winner has become an outstanding baseball player, but is BoJack the best in the American League?

And in the National League:

* St. Louis' Ozzie Smith, arguably the best fielder at his position ever, leads at shortstop. But Cincinnati's Barry Larkin, the league's second-leading hitter at .355, is miles behind.

* New York outfielder Darryl Strawberry is the leading vote-getter in both leagues. Strawberry has 15 home runs, but is batting .224, has just 33 RBI and has struck out 54 times.

* Los Angeles' Kirk Gibson is third among NL outfielders, despite 22 games played and a mediocre .275 batting average. Chalk up this selection to his MVP season a year ago and his dramatic home run against Oakalnd in Game 1 of the World Series.

* Last, but not least, the leader at third base is none other than Mike Schmidt. No need to rub your chin - Schmidt, a certain Hall of Famer, did indeed retire on Memorial Day. But sentimental votes keep pouring in. He leads Cincinnati's Chris Sabo by approximately 77,000 votes. Injecting a note of sanity, Schmidt said he will not play.

Obviously, popularity has become the overwhelming factor. How else do you explain Canseco, Jackson, Smith, Strawberry, Gibson and Schmidt?

I'm not claiming to be exempt here. I remember grabbing a handful of ballots, every other day, and filling out a Boston Red Sox player at every position. Sure, Fred Lynn and Jim Rice deserved to be there. But Jerry Remy? Bernie Carbo?

Players often are chosen based on their careers, rather than a particular season. That's the only possible explanation for Gary Carter being a perennial All-Star for the past nine years (and fourth in the voting now, despite a .114 batting average in only 23 games).

Canseco clearly is receiving votes from last season's performance, as are Strawberry, McGwire, and a few others.

Some voters - maybe most - analyze the players and select the best at each position. Some even set aside personal prejudice and vote solely on on-field performance. After all, Boston's Wade Boggs leads at third base, and he hasn't been a very good boy lately.

The solution to this mess? Beats me. It would be hard to take the vote away from the fan and if that were to happen, who would choose the teams? The players? The managers? The media? Dan Quayle?

Perhaps the vote doesn't need to be taken away from the fan. But use more brain and less heart. Even I couldn't justify Rich Gedman in the starting lineup.

- Skip Miller, whose column usually appears on Thursday, is on vacation.